To modern people, newspapers made of paper are merely a means of delivering information that one might find in places like Tapsigol Park or senior citizen’s centers.
However, before the advent of the internet, TV, radio, and computers, all significant events in history were communicated through this medium.
If I borrow a bit of wisdom from the British Empire and some forbidden knowledge from the Nazis...
To exaggerate slightly, this was the only medium through which information could be conveyed.
If we utilize this distinct advantage appropriately, perhaps we could have a bit of fun with it?
"Newspapers? What is that?"
"It's a mass-produced book that contains all kinds of information, such as scandals among the nobles, royal celebrations or tragedies, shocking crimes, and even things you wish to convey to the people, Your Majesty."
The Emperor’s eyes lit up when I mentioned conveying something to the people.
As expected of an emperor, he immediately fixated on something that might help strengthen imperial power.
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"I can convey my words to all the citizens of the Empire. It sounds like an attractive idea."
Why do nobles in the Tuscany Empire have absolute influence over their lands?
It may seem a little inappropriate to bring this up during a conversation about newspapers, but...
To put it simply, without going into too much detail, it’s because the Emperor's rule only reaches the nobility.
Nobles can maintain their territories and power as long as they don't directly challenge the Emperor.
Therefore, they can do whatever they want within their own territories.
After all, commoners have no authority to complain, whether the noble raises taxes or enacts strange laws within their lands.
But if the Emperor uses the newspaper to tell them to restrain their 'tyranny,' things could get complicated.
"Let’s see... how can I make use of this?"
The Emperor began to think happily.
If someone saw his expression, they'd think he had just found a new love in his later years.
It’s amazing how those in power seem to live for it, as if power is everything.
If you can’t maintain power, you lose everything, so maybe that’s part of it.
But watching it all unfold gives me a complicated feeling.
"I can show goodwill to the people without using my own money. For example, when a famine is expected in the Farnese County, I could publish an edict in the newspaper to halve the taxes before Count Farnese even gets a chance to act."
This is a truly wicked idea.
Count Farnese would need to reduce taxes to protect his people due to the famine.
However, if the Emperor steps in first and declares the tax cut, he could win the people’s favor in Farnese County without spending a single coin.
One might ask, "What would gaining the support of a few commoners even do?"
But...
Once the serfs and merchants begin siding with the Emperor, even the nobles will have no choice but to obey.
‘If the Emperor is ignored and public opinion shifts to a rebellion...’
The Emperor could use the excuse that the noble failed to manage his territory properly and strip him of his title.
The justification would be perfect: the people wanted it, so the Emperor had no choice but to take the title.
Of course, the nobles are smarter than Albert, so they’d figure it out before it reaches that point.
Still, the Emperor’s power will be strengthened, and that’s what makes him happy.
"And once this news spreads across the Tuscany Empire, the peasants and many others will think, 'The Emperor of Tuscany is a very benevolent person.'"
I remember our professor once said this:
"People from the past did foolish things because they lacked knowledge, not because they were dumber than us."
Even during the Black Death, they quarantined infected areas and banned travel with nearby regions.
People from the past were certainly not unintelligent.
The issue was that their intelligence was confined within the knowledge they had.
Anyway, the Emperor of this medieval fantasy Empire is wise enough to quickly grasp the nature of newspapers.
Though, I don’t suppose the Nazis or the East India Company had any "experience" in studying public manipulation...
If I shared all my know-how, I’d be able to write newspapers much better than the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, do you like it?"
Instead of answering my question, the Emperor firmly clasped both of his hands.
It was a sign that he was quite pleased.
If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have expressed his gratitude so openly in front of everyone.
"However, this could be used in a better way. Specifically, it could be used to advertise the policies you wish to implement through speeches."
In every modern textbook, especially in social studies, there’s always a statement like this:
"Viewing information from multiple perspectives is crucial."
If you can’t view it from various angles, you’ll easily be brainwashed.
But, the Tuscany Empire, or more frankly, until the late 1900s, 95% of the world’s population would not have been able to view information from multiple perspectives.
News broadcasts on TV are essentially just variations of reports from journalists, and newspapers are quite similar.
It wasn’t until the internet came that global news, all sorts of information, and even academic papers became accessible, allowing people to view information from a variety of angles.
And what about the 99.5% of people in the Tuscany Empire, who can only absorb information from state-controlled newspapers?
‘They’ll likely think that because it’s from the most authoritative source, it must be right.’
"Peasants, or rather, serfs, can understand, but use expressions that are not vulgar to argue the necessity of war. They will all think that war is necessary."
The majority of people in the Middle Ages were less educated and more ignorant than modern people.
Why? Because almost none of them had even elementary school-level education.
However, that doesn’t mean their IQ was lower than that of modern people.
So, if the arguments are presented in simple terms, they will be able to roughly understand why war is necessary.
"If you argue the necessity of war, they won’t feel much resistance. After all, they’ll think that His Majesty, the Emperor, is appealing in a way that even they, the humble ones, can understand."
In modern times, if a president or a member of parliament speaks on TV and tells people to extend their military service for another year, people would tell them to get lost.
But in the Tuscany Empire, where the class system strictly exists...
If a high-ranking figure explains why they must go to war and apologizes for it, the people would accept it, thinking that there must be a reason behind it.
When someone as exalted as the Emperor asks something of us common folk, we’ll think there’s a reason behind it.
"I don’t like the idea that it will appear as though I’m appealing to the serfs through my writing. But... I can accept that. After all, they are still my people. It’s like a father using simple words for his 5-year-old child instead of formal language."
In the British Empire, the upper and lower classes still speak different forms of English.
It’s not that one can’t understand the other, but the differences are so great that it might sound like a strong dialect to someone from another class.
In the Tuscany Empire, the Holy Empire, the Union Kingdom that eats sardines in pies, the Kingdom of Lyon, and so on...
In every country on the Albanian continent, there is a clear distinction between the refined language of the upper class and the simple speech of the lower class.
And those in power tend to be embarrassed to speak in common language instead of their refined one.
"If you appeal for war and honestly state that the Empire needs money, issue war bonds and raise funds."
The Emperor’s expression soured significantly.
After all, asking for money directly from the common people is not something an Emperor can easily do without losing face.
But in the long run, this would benefit the Emperor.
"Right now, Your Majesty, the ‘money’ is what’s hindering you from managing the nation’s important matters, isn’t it? And that money only comes from the nobles and merchants."
Among the merchants, only those like me, who are at the level of ‘magnates,’ can contribute.
And once you reach the level of a magnate, you’re basically equivalent to a noble without the title, so there’s no one else to rely on.
"If you prove that you can also get the support of peasants, merchants, and artisans, you will free yourself somewhat from the influence of the nobles."
Why do oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia live off the sale of oil?
It’s because they are the few nations that produce oil, so they can afford to sell it at a premium.
Nobles can keep dominating the Emperor precisely because there is no one else the Emperor can rely on.
"If you want to achieve absolute imperial power, you must align yourself with the people. This will be the first step."
The Emperor listened to my words, thought for a moment, and then replied.
"I will entrust you with the task of selling newspapers. However, I will appoint a censor."
"Do as you wish, Your Majesty."
It doesn’t matter if there’s censorship; there are plenty of loopholes to get around it.